| Lerone Graham

lerone.graham@roanoke.com, 381-8621

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Frustration filled Christiansburg Town Council chambers during a budget work session Friday morning.

The proposed budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year is $36 million, down from the current $42.7 million budget.

"I think the word is not comfortable, but that we're willing to accept it," said Councilman Ernie Wade.

Council members expressed their thoughts and concerns Friday on issues ranging from permit fee increases to aquatics center funding. With money tight across the board, the $14.5 million aquatics center under construction entered the budget discussion.

Wade expressed frustration in having to prepare a budget for the center's operations without a solid opening date set. The center's opening missed its original Jan. 1 target.

"This is unbelievable to me that a contractor won't give us a date for when this thing is going to be complete," he said.

Councilman Mike Barber took exception to comments about the center by Wade and other council members.

"It's easy to come in after the fact and say, 'I should have done this, I should have done that,' " Barber said.

He later apologized for "blowing his stack," saying he was frustrated because the center has been planned for years and he foresees it receiving unfair criticism should it not be financially successful at first.

Town Manager Lance Terpenny said the budget numbers for the center are based on the center being open by July 1, which won't happen. Instead, the council decided to project an Oct. 1 launch for the center when considering budget numbers.

To account for the late start, expenses and projected revenue will be changed to reflect 75 percent of the current numbers when council is ready to advertise the budget.

The numbers that will be reduced to 75 percent include projected revenue of $119,000 for rental and $500,000 for aquatics fees.

Virginia Tech's agreed annual contribution of $250,000 to the center, in exchange for hosting Hokie swim meets, will remain the same, and will be allocated once the facility opens.

The town's budget also calls for increased water and sewer rates, as well as water and sewer connection fees. Money has also been budgeted for new positions, including an IT technician, a school resource officer, a police dispatcher, a planner and an inspector trainee.

The water authority plans to increase rates by 7 cents per 1,000 gallons used, while the solid waste authority is increasing its tipping fee $3 per ton.

The council agreed to raise fees for rezoning and conditional use permits from the original suggestion of $300 to $500, and to change site plan review fees from $200 plus $25 per acre.

The town currently does not charge for building plan reviews, but the council opted to include in the budget some sort of fee if the building is larger than a certain square footage.

Terpenny said he was in favor of this idea because building inspectors and fire marshals spend a tremendous amount of time reviewing large stores, restaurants and hotels.

The council will decide whether another work session is necessary at its regular Tuesday night meeting. Assistant Town Manager Barry Helms said he hopes an advertised budget will be ready for public hearing May 5 and taken to a vote May 19.